Teen cop impersonator gets 3 years probation

July 16, 2009

A 15-year-old boy who earlier this year fooled Chicago police officers into believing he was one of their own will spend three years on probation after pleading guilty to impersonating a cop and later stealing a car he persuaded a dealer to let him test drive.

Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Berman warned the boy he would have to comply with the terms of his probation, including participating in a mentoring program, serving 30 days home confinement, spending much of his time at a monitoring center and taking part in in-home therapy.

"One of the things that you have done, and have been very candid about, is you like to manipulate other people and situations," Berman told the boy. "That's going to stop right now. You are not going to manipulate me. If you mess up with this probation ... to say nothing of if you get arrested, that's it. Next stop is the Department of Corrections."

The boy's impersonation of a police officer in January was a major embarrassment to the Police Department and was the subject of a City Council hearing. After a lengthy investigation, Supt. Jody Weis announced seven officers were being punished for breaking department rules.

Today, the boy was polite and quiet as he responded to Berman's questions.

When Berman admonished him and told the boy "It's stopping right now, OK?", the boy responded quietly, "Yes."

"You can control your behavior if you want. It's in your hands," Berman told him.

Berman also warned the boy's mother that she is ordered by the court to cooperate with the in home therapy, and if she does not, she would be subject to criminal contempt

"This is not something you want to fool around with with me on," Berman said.

The boy, who was 14 at the time, walked into the Grand Crossing police station on the South Side in a uniform, was given a radio and joined an officer for a patrol. He drove a police car for two of the five hours he was out and assisted in a domestic arrest, helping to handcuff an individual.

The hoax was discovered by a supervisor when the teen returned to the station and the supervisor noticed he didn't have a badge or gun. He was placed under arrest and later pled not guilty to impersonating an officer.

In May, it wasn't a police uniform but a spiffy suit and tie that allegedly got the teen behind the wheel of a car.